| USS
Arizona memorial from the outside |
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The USS Arizona
Memorial is one of Honolulu's most popular attractions, so it helps to
get there early to avoid the tour buses! The visitor center
is open from 7:30 AM to 5 PM every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas and
New Year, but the last program starts at 3 PM.
Tickets are free,
parking is free and the ride out to the memorial itself is free. |
| The visit begins
with a 20 minute long documentary about the attack, and you can explore
the small museum which includes exhibits like this anchor recovered from
the Arizona. |
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| A
boat then takes people across to the memorial, which straddles the hulk
of the Arizona. |
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| It
wasn't until 1950, nine years after the attack, that a wooden platform
was first erected above the wreck of the Arizona, with a plaque and flagpole.
The present structure wasn't built until 1962. The curved roof
of the memorial is meant to represent the decline into war down to
the lowest point and then the climb back up to victory. |
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| The
launch ties up at a pontoon connected to the memorial, and you can go straight
in. |
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| You
can stay as long as you want at the memorial, and take the next launch
back. |
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